"Well, I don't see how you will even catch this one without the best bounty hunter in the guild but okay..." you tease Din as he slings his rifle over his back, ready to leave.
"I'll try to manage." He chuckles back.
He gives Grogu a little handshake and places his hand softly on your cheek before walking out the hatch, and you seal it behind him.
Time on the ship without Din seems to pass differently. You play with the little bug, start and finish a book and do some minor panel repairs - just busy work. You join the little gremlin in some of what you assume is meditation before he decides hunger is more important than inner peace and starts climbing all over you. "Alright, alright," you say as you get up to find him some dry rations. When you offer them to him he surprisingly turns his nose up at them.
Well that's a first.
"I know buddy," you shrug, "but we haven't resupped yet - this is all we got."
He looks at the door and makes a noise.
"Uhhhhhhhh...." Your voice trails off as you realize you have never left this ship without Din. It's oddly intimidating, besides - is that allowed? What would he say? "I don't know bug..."
Grogu takes a few steps towards the door, pointing and mumbling nonsense.
Maybe quick. Din said it was a safe planet?
Grogu walks back and tugs on your pant leg.
It's not like you're a prisoner.
You find yourself incredulously grabbing your pack and a few credits.
What if he returns and you are gone?
You scribble him a quick note and leave it on his weapon locker.
"Well... here goes nothing." You say scooping up the kid and nestling him in your bag. He makes a happy noise and claps his little hands as you reach for the door controls - but your hand stops.
You wheel back around and before you can even think what you are doing you grab the small blaster you've practised with from the locker and tuck it in your waistband. You quickly stride back to the door, smacking the control to open it before you can change your mind.
The air blows sweet and cool on your face. The sun blinds you for a second before illuminating a quiet little seaside port.
"Real quick, you hear? Just basics." You say as you close the hatch behind you - though you are not sure if you say it to inform the kid or to comfort yourself.
You feel significantly less confident without your tower of metal and danger to part the crowds for you as you pass through the streets to a small market. The delicious smells in the air make your stomach growl.
It does not take long before Grogu is frantically waving and pointing as some sort of sea creature on a stick at one of the stalls.
"How much?"
"1 credit each, or 3 for 2."
Grogu looks up to give you his best begging eyes.
"Better make it 3 then." You smile, handing him the payment. The vendor thanks you and you can't help but wander a little more. Eyeing the beautiful fabrics and curious little trinkets. You stop to smell a bouquet of flowers and find some interesting looking fruits you manage to barter a deal on.
As you stroll through the streets you feel your uneasiness wash away. You decide to look around just a little more. Grogu cons you into a little soft frog toy - and you think he is a little disappointed it's not edible, which makes you chuckle.
You are rounding a corner looking over a stall of baked goods when a familiar shape catches your eye.
3 Mandalorians are casually strolling through the streets. You duck back behind the corner not sure why you are worried. Surely if it's Din he's not going to admonish you in public.
You peer back around at them and watch as they take a seat on the patio of a small restaurant. It's not Din. Their armour isn't shiny, it's painted blue with white markings.
Does Din know they are here? Is there a covert here?
Your breath catches in your throat as you see them reach for their helmets. One by one , and as if it was the most normal thing in the world, they pop them off and sit them on the table while casually carrying on with their conversation.
Holy shit.
Your mind is reeling with questions. You spin around, knocking into someone and mumbling apologies as you scramble to find your feet.
Are they real mandalorians? What if they are?
Your thoughts are jumbled with questions as you try to remember all the turns to get back to the ship. You take a few wrong turns and the panic swells a lump in your throat.
What if they aren't? Should you tell Din?
You take a few more turns, tears beginning to sting in your eyes. Passerby's seem to notice and give you looks.
If they show their face to everyone, why won't Din show his to you?
You shake the thought from your head and close your eyes to blink back the tears. You take a deep breath and calm yourself.
"Do you need help Miss?" A sweet woman asks, and you open your eyes. She has a kind face and long dark hair tucked into a bandana.
You swallow the lump in your throat. "I uh.. I just got turned around. I'm looking for the port."
"Well you are quite close, take a left just there," she points to the next intersection, "and you should see it- it's straight from there two streets over. Would you like me to show you?"
You smile sweetly to her, "I'll manage. Thank you so much."
She nods and you head on your way. Relief floods you when you find the ship still empty, your mind is still scrambled with questions. You hurriedly stow away you pack and notice the note on the locker.
What if he never knew I left?
Just as you grab the note you hear the hatch opening. You stuff it in your pocket and jump away from the locker, trying your best to be nonchalant.
Din stows his bounty in carbonite and tilts his head as he turns to see you. "Why do you look like you deserve to be spanked?" He says, half laughing.
"That's just my face." You try to steady your voice.
Din unslings the rifle from his back and opens the locker.
Shit.
He doesn't miss a beat. Maybe he didn't notice? The blaster seems to dig at your skin a little more.
He goes about his routine, stowing away the various things he has brought with him. "Interesting day?" He asks.
Your eyes widen, then he points to the cleaned up panel. "Uh, yah. Just...uh, here...doing my job." You rock a little on your feet. "How, uh, how was your trip? Anything exciting?"
"Was fast, didn't even have to go into town. Dock workers knew exactly where to find him." He drags his fingers along the panel. "Almost beat you back."
Your face flushes red. Are you in trouble? You start to speak but it just comes out in stutters.
"Darling, you can't hide from me. Besides." he points over your shoulder.
You look over to see Grogu holding one of his skewers. "Oh. That. Ya, I just went we're hungry—" Din stalks over to you . "—-an- and Bug didn't want the rations... I didn't know if we were—- if we were allowed." He gets closer and you hear your voice get smaller. "It's not like I'm your prisoner. And I mean—- I mean you said it was safe..." You trail off.
Din stops to stand so close you have to bend your head all the way back to stare up at him. "And what," he says reaching his arm around you tugging the blaster from your waist, "were you planning on doing with this?" Relief floods over you as you hear the smile in his voice.
You can't help but smile back. "I'll have you know a Mandalorian taught me to shoot."
"Mhmm", he says, tucking the blaster into his own belt. "I'm not sure if that makes me feel better."
"Are you mad?" You are not sure you want the answer, but ask anyways.
"I don't know. I don't like you where I can't protect you-" He says, rubbing the brow of his helmet - you smile at the fact that he sometimes forgets it's not his real face. Then your smile fades as you remember the others. "but it's not like I can keep you chained up in here. As fun as that might be."
"Well... if THAT'S an option." You hold your wrist up and laugh.
Din just laughs and shakes his head at you as he turns to climb up to the cockpit.
"You gotta try this weird food with us though." You happily change the subject and follow him.
——————
A few hours later you both still sitting in the cockpit, baby asleep in your lap and Din looking over maps and coordinates. There is the usual easy quiet in the air, but there is a question burning in your mind.
"Din?" You ask quietly.
"Mmm?" He replies, not looking up from his console.
"Do other Mandalorians take their helmets off?"
"No." He keeps working away.
"None of them?"
He stops, and breathes slowly in and out. "This is the way."
You look back out the window, tears threatening your eyes. "Oh."
You decide not to tell him.